So who will Phoenix trot out there tomorrow?

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Originally Posted by mardigan

Except that team had Tim Thomas and Eddie House who were both good contributors

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ummm, no tim thomas in that game. eddie house?!?!?! dude, played 15 minutes and was 0-4 with one rebound

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Originally Posted by ponky

well, i have this own weird theory about tomorrow night's game with regards to the officiating but we'll see.

anyway, marion will be fed the ball often and accurately under the post and we know bowen can't guard in the paint, not worried about a healthy duncan...no need to bring health into it, he had better numbers last post-season than this season despite his health

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Marion won't be able to operate in the post with Duncan lurking. No Amare. Remember? Marion in the paint doesn't particularly scare me anyway. We play the shooters and contest Nash and Amare in the paint, usually. Just sub Marion's for Amare's as the two pointers we're willing to give up.

marks will be there if thomas and marion get into foul trouble.

i think they bring in rose. i don't think he can play that many minutes, but they'll probably try him for some bursts. he can get hot outside, he can slash (well, maybe or maybe he's too old). his defense is terrible. he'll cover bruce bowen when he can, and stays home.

barbosa is going to have to play over 40 minutes. he played 48 in utah in november, so he can do it.

james jones gets some minutes. everybody else stays on the bench unless they're needed because of foul trouble.

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Originally Posted by Manu20

I have being wondering who the spurs are going to activate.

1)White
2)Butler
3)Ely

Does it matter?

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I'd like to see if Ely can repeat his "screen" on Madsen in the last TPup game on Bell

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

Did you watch the 2005 playoffs when Bowen guarded Marion the whole time and owned him? Marion was playing the 4 then too.

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imo, i didn't think that team was as good as this suns team. barbosa was a rookie, no playing time, joe johnson was just coming back from injury, nash was in his first year back with the suns. marion has a tendency to shine when amare is not playing, i don't think bowen, three years later, at nearly 36, is going to be quite as effective,a s great a defender as he is. please understand though, i'm trying to pull as much positive as i can for the suns seeing as how they just got fucked over by the league (yes, the rule IS stupid)

D'Antoni has to put in his most desperate/best starting lineup now that Stoudemire and Diaw are out.

Nash
Barbosa
Bell
Marion
Thomas

With James Jones, Marcus Banks, maybe Jalen Rose and Pat Burke coming off the bench. Each starter is going to log heavy minutes (40 or more) apart from Thomas, who will play a few minutes less than Duncan.

Throw the best small ball lineup possible out there and hope for the best. Everyone is going to have to step up in order to win...

I think Nash is going to take 10 more shots than everyone else. Wouldn't be surprised if he scored 40 or more.

The Spurs can't get too cocky or complacent about this game. Wounded teams find ways to rally, and the Spurs need to just come in, play their game, forget about the calls, forget about what's happened, and win the next 2 games. The Suns are capable of winning without Amare and Diaw if the Spurs let all this get to them, and the Spurs are capable are winning even with the Suns' full roster. That's all that matters.

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Originally Posted by ponky

imo, i didn't think that team was as good as this suns team. barbosa was a rookie, no playing time, joe johnson was just coming back from injury, nash was in his first year back with the suns. marion has a tendency to shine when amare is not playing, i don't think bowen, three years later, at nearly 36, is going to be quite as effective,a s great a defender as he is. please understand though, i'm trying to pull as much positive as i can for the suns seeing as how they just got fucked over by the league (yes, the rule IS stupid)

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Well Bowen won't start the game guarding Marion anyway. I'd imagine Duncan will start out guarding Marion. But Bowen has always done an awesome job on Marion throughout the years, whether Marion is playing the 3 or the 4.

And BTW, the 2005 playoffs were only 2 years ago :)

I think Mike Finley operates in the post more effectively than Marion. I'd expect to see that, too, if the Suns play as small as everyone says they will.

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Originally Posted by Budkin

If we can't win Game 5 under these conditions, we don't deserve to win the series.

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You don't deserve to win this series regardless.

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

And BTW, the 2005 playoffs were only 2 years ago :)

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:lol
That 05 team also had Q who was a great shooter and decent defender, and Jimmy Jackson, who played his last good year that year. That Suns team was damn good, although nothing can replace what Amare gives them

The other question is who will the Spurs start? Will they go with Oberto? Because with that line-up, you have to have Oberto and Tim guard someone. If you want Bowen on Marion- you putting Oberto on whom?

While I completely understand the move of Oberto to the starting line-up it destroyed the idea of playing Manu with Oberto. Might Pop start the small line-up so Oberto can come in for Duncan? Do you really want to see Elson and Bonner together on the floor?

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Originally Posted by ploto

The other question is who will the Spurs start? Will they go with Oberto? Because with that line-up, you have to have Oberto and Tim guard someone. If you want Bowen on Marion- you putting Oberto on whom?

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Uh, Kurt Thomas.

They'll start Oberto and go small if they get their asses kicked.

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Originally Posted by ploto

The other question is who will the Spurs start? Will they go with Oberto? Because with that line-up, you have to have Oberto and Tim guard someone. If you want Bowen on Marion- you putting Oberto on whom?

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I think Oberto and Tim will guard KThomas and Marion. I don't think Bowen will start on Marion.

Sean Marks Will Lead The Suns To The Promise Land!

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Originally Posted by timvp

Uh, Kurt Thomas.

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And Tim covers whom??

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

Well that's not a similar lineup (exchanging Diaw and Barbosa). Last season when they had Diaw that was still someone in the interior. Barbosa isn't a post player.

Hopefully Pop doesn't try to "match their small lineup" as always and just pounds the hell out of them inside with the bigs instead.

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If he does, I'm posting the gate access to the neighborhood he lives in here. :p:

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Originally Posted by ploto

And Tim covers whom??

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Oberto and Duncan have both guarded Marion for stretches in the series. If James Jones is on the floor, you can put Oberto or Duncan on him until he hits a shot.

The Suns will still be Nash and a bunch of guys looking to score off of Nash. Not much changes for the Suns other than the names of the players on the court.

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Originally Posted by tlongII

You don't deserve to win this series regardless.

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We don't deserve it because Amare and Diaw broke the rules?

One thing seems certain at this point, for those who are interested in NBA officiating: Bennett Salvatore will not be calling Game 5, since he's calling tonight's game in Utah. I would, though, expect to see at least two of Dick Bavetta, Bernie Fryer, Mike Callahan and/or Ron Garretson.

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Originally Posted by Budkin

We don't deserve it because Amare and Diaw broke the rules?

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yeah, wtf? i know i won't care about this shit if the spurs go on to win the title. again.

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Originally Posted by mardigan

:lol
That 05 team also had Q who was a great shooter and decent defender, and Jimmy Jackson, who played his last good year that year. That Suns team was damn good, although nothing can replace what Amare gives them

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Wow you didn't watch that Suns team very much. Q was not a decent defender, he was bad. And his shot was off in the playoffs. Jim Jackson's impact was negligible. They started off 31-4 with Casey Jacobsen as their sixth man.

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Originally Posted by exstatic

This is what comes of playing a 7.5 man rotation over an 82 game season. You don't have a sub ready for spot rotation minutes when you need them.

Shit, Ely played more minutes off the IL than some of their active roster players.

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You are so right. That is why Amare and Diaw get the stupid award for going on the floor.

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Originally Posted by FromWayDowntown

One thing seems certain at this point, for those who are interested in NBA officiating: Bennett Salvatore will not be calling Game 5, since he's calling tonight's game in Utah. I would, though, expect to see at least two of Dick Bavetta, Bernie Fryer, Mike Callahan and/or Ron Garretson.

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I've been thinking since this series started that Bavetta would show up for game 5 in Phoenix, with the league thinking it would possibly be 3-1 in someone's favor at that point.

2-2, I don't know which way Bavetta would go under normal circumstances, but he'll probably have marching orders to call some cheap ones on Tim early to balance things out.

For sure one of Garretson and Bernie will be there, dunno who the third will be.